Close ties to Christianity & Judaism:1. Believe that both
Abraham & Jesus were prophets
2. Islam is the last religion of the Abrahamic tradition
3. Muhammad is the last prophet in a long line of prophets
Islam
Mecca (Arial View)
• Founder/Prophets/Important People:– Muhammad– Abraham
• Languages:– Arabic
• Percent of followers worldwide:– 25%– Second largest religion in the
world
Islam
Islam
• Where– SW Asia
– Mecca, present-day Saudi Arabia.
– Medina, Saudi Arabia
• When– 613 A.D.
Muslims worship at the Kaaba (sacred black stone) in Mecca
Islam Briefly
• Islam is the second most popular religion in the world with over a billion followers.
• Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
• Those who follow Islam are called Muslims. • Muslims believe that there is only one God, called
Allah, who speaks Arabic.
• The Muslim calendar has 354 days– based on the 12 crescent moon cycles.
Islam
• ISLAM is the name given to the religion preached by the prophet Muhammad in the 600s A. D.
• The Islamic religion started in the area known as Palestine in the year 600AD.
• It has about 850 million followers, most of them in the region north and east of the Mediterranean Sea.
• Important Teachings:1. Five Pillars of Islam2. Monotheistic3. God is called Allah
• Holy Book(s):1. The Qur’an (Koran)
• The Qur’an contains both verses from the Torah & the Bible.
2. Sharia• a tradition of rulings
that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society.
Islam
Muslims worshiping towards the Kaaba in Mecca. Zoomed out.
– Moral Code is derived from Five Pillars:
1. Faith: There is only one god- Allah.
2. Prayer: pray five times a day. (Towards Mecca)
3. Fasting: during month of Ramadan.
4. Zakah: Giving Alms to the poor.
5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Islam
Muslims gathering outside Mecca during their Hajj
Islamic Philosophy
• Muslims learn that life on earth is a period of testing and preparation for the life to come.
• Angels record good and bad deeds.
• People should behave themselves and help others, trusting in Allah's justice and mercy for their reward.
Islam • Basic Preceptso Submission to the will
of God (Allah)o Lineage - Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, & Mohammed (different lineage)
o Holy Book - Koran - built on Old Testament
o Five (5) pillars of faith
Islam’s Holy Book
• The Muslim scripture is the Holy Qur'an. It is 'the word of God'. Muslim beliefs and practices are rooted in the Qur'an.
• Muslims treat the Qur'an with great respect because they believe that the Qur'an is from Allah, and every word and every letter is sacred.
• Muslims regard the Qur'an as the unaltered word of God.
• It is read from right to left and written in Arabic, the language of heaven.
Islam’s Place of Worship
• The Muslim building for communal worship is called a Mosque. The word comes from the Arabic for "place of prostration".
• Worshippers are called to prayer 5 times a day from minarets – towers on the mosque corners.
• They contain only designs, no people or animals or furniture.• Normal day of worship is Friday.• Religious leaders are called imams.
Grand mosque in Mecca
Islam’s Place of Worship
• The Muslim building for communal worship is called a Mosque. – The word comes from the Arabic for
"place of prostration".
• Worshippers are called to prayer 5 times a day from minarets – towers on the mosque corners.
• They contain only designs, no people or animals or furniture.
• Normal day of worship is Friday. Jamia Mosque in Derby England
Islam’s Most Holy City
• While praying, they face the holy city of Mecca (in Saudi-Arabia) and sometimes kneel with faces to the ground.
• All Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage (trip to a sacred place) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.
Five Pillars Belief System/Law Code• Shahadah: declaration of faith
"I bear witness that there is no god, but God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the prophet of God." By reciting this, one enters Islamic faith.
• Salah: prayerMuslims are required to pray five times a day, washing themselves before prayer and facing in the direction of Mecca while praying.
• Zakat: giving a fixed proportion to charity Muslims are required to give away a percentage of their earnings to those less fortunate, regardless of their religion. It is usually 2.5%.
• Saum: fasting during the month of RamadanMuslims fast for one lunar month each year, a period called Ramadan. During this time, Muslims reflect on their behavior and strive to purify their thoughts.
• Hajj: pilgrimage to MeccaIf it is financially possible, Muslims are required to travel to Mecca once in their lifetime.
5 Pillars of Islam
1. Shahada(witness) is the Muslim profession of faith- "I witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the prophet of Allah"
• Muslims say this when they wake up in the morning and just before they go to sleep at night
• 2. Salat(daily prayer) is a prayer ritual performed 5 times a day by all Muslims over the age of 10
• Between first light and sunrise • After the sun has passed the middle of the
sky • Between mid-afternoon and sunset • Between sunset and the last light of the day • Between darkness and dawn
3. Sawm(fasting) is abstaining each day during Ramadan
• Sawm helps Muslims develop self-control, gain a better understanding of God's gifts and greater compassion towards the deprived.
• Ramadan is the holiest day for Islam. It marks when Muhammad had the Qur-an revealed to him
• Sawm is usually described as fasting, but it actually involves abstaining from all bodily pleasures between dawn and sunset
• Not only is food forbidden, but also things like smoking, chewing gum, negative thoughts and sexual activity
Food Laws
• Very similar laws to the Jewish kosher foods• No alcohol, pork, blood, no pork fat products,
scavenger animals• Food must be prepared similarly to the Jews
– Slice to the jugular– Drain blood
4. Zakat(almsgiving) is giving alms to the poor • This is a compulsory gift of 2.5 % of one's
savings each year • Giving in this way is intended to free
Muslims from the love of money • It reminds them that everything they have
really belongs to God.
5. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that all physically/financially able Muslims should make at least once in their life
• Mecca is the most holy place for Muslims• Takes place during days 8-13 of the 12th
month of the Islamic Lunar calendar• They circle the Kaaba seven times on three
occasions, say prayers, drink from a holy spring, walk to Mount Arafat to pray, feast, cast stones at three pillars(to fight Satan’s temptations), shave hair, run seven times between some hills
Main Festivals
• Hijja:The month of pilgrimage during which all Muslims, at least once in their life, should try to make the pilgrimage to Mecca and worship at the Kaaba
Muslim Sects• Sunni-the majority• Shia-the minority• The split rose from an early dispute over who should be the
leader of Islam after the death of Muhammad. • The Sunnis argued that the successor should be appointed
by election and consensus, as tradition dictated. (Sunni comes from the Arabic word Sunna , meaning “tradition.”)
• The Shia believed that Muhammad's successors should come from his family, starting with Ali, his son-in-law. These, the partisans of Ali, were named from the word Shia , meaning “partisan” in Arabic.
• Important Cities:– Mecca– Medina– Jerusalem
• Major Groups:– Sunni
• largest denomination of Islam; means the tradition of the prophet of Islam - Muhammad
• Believe caliphs (priests) were to be chosen by consensus
– Shi-ite• Shi'a Muslims adhere to the teachings
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his Ahlul Bayt (family).
• Believe caliphs should be descendants from Muhammad’s son in law (Ali) and wife (Fatima)
Islam
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem